THE  INTERCHURCH 
WORLD  MOVEMENT 
of  NORTH  AMERICA 


Its  Origin,  Purposes 
and  Plans 


Headquarters  of  the  Movement 
111  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  City 


Interchurch  World  Movement 
of  North  America 

Cooperation — Not  Union 

'T'HE  INTERCHURCH  World  Movement 
*  was  organized  for  purposes  of  cooperation, 
not  union. 

It  is  a  grouping  of  missionary,  educational, 
and  philanthropic  organizations  within  the  sev¬ 
eral  communions  or  denominations  and  of  allied 
interdenominational  agencies.  It  is  not  a  com¬ 
bination  of  ecclesiastical  bodies. 

It  has  not  been  proposed  that  any  organization 
shall  merge  with  any  other,  give  up  any  of  its 
distinctive  features,  or  surrender  any  of  its 
rights . 

All  of  these  organizations  do  many  things  of 
the  same  nature.  They  hold  meetings  and  con¬ 
ventions  for  the  deepening  of  the  spiritual  life 
and  the  development  of  interest  in  the  varied 
activities  of  the  Christian  Church.  They  issue 
literature  and  conduct  publicity  campaigns. 
They  raise  money  through  special  drives.  They 
make  surveys  of  the  fields  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  outline  budgets  of  expenditures. 

The  question  naturally  arose:  Cannot  these 
organizations  group  themselves  for  mutual  bene¬ 
fit,  study  one  another’s  plans  and  literature,  and 
actually  do  some  things  together  ;  for  example, 
conduct  a  united  publicity  and  financial  cam¬ 
paign? 

In  simple  terms,  the  movement  proposes  to 
provide  opportunity  for  its  cooperating  constitu¬ 
ents  to  conduct  their  informational  and  financial 
propaganda  annually  at  the  same  time. 

In  the  process  of  such  an  enlarged  cooperation 
there  may  be  revealed  to  some  Christian  organ¬ 
izations,  especially  those  which  are  already  close¬ 
ly  akin,  the  knowledge  that  consolidation  or 
combination  would  produce  better  results  for 
the  entire  cause  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and 
there  may  be  supplementary  actions  of  this 
character.  The  effort  itself,  however,  is  not 


3 


Interchurch  World  Movement 


directed  primarily  to  these  questions,  but  rather 
to  the  more  immediate  and  pressing  one  of 
cooperation. 

This  will  involve  cooperation  in  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  spiritual  resources  of  the  churches, 
the  making  of  surveys  and  in  the  statement  of 
the  total  needs  of  the  world  from  the  point  of 
view  of  Protestant  Christianity. 

Each  organization  will  maintain  its  own  treas¬ 
ury  and  regulate  its  own  affairs  as  heretofore. 
Each  organization  will  pass  upon  the  results  of 
all  surveys  which  affect  its  own  work.  The 
Central  Committee  will  harmonize  and  coordi¬ 
nate  these  surveys,  and  prepare  a  total  budget 
which  will,  for  the  first  time  in  history,  outline 
the  approximate  responsibility  of  the  Christian 
Church  for  the  world’s  welfare. 

Desirable  and  Feasible 

Facing  the  tremendous  demands  of  this  tragic 
hour  following  the  world  war,  the  churches  can 
do  no  less  than  follow  a  course  so  obviously 
feasible  as  that  outlined  in  the  foregoing.  That 
they  may  ultimately  do  very  much  more  is  the 
prayer  of  unnumbered  disciples  of  Christ. 

There  is  a  great  hymn  of  the  church  which  we 
all  sing  with  feeling.  It  contains  the  lines: 

“We  are  not  divided, 

All  one  body  we.” 

The  sentiment  of  this  hymn  is  true  so  far  as 
the  spirit  of  union  is  concerned,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  we  are  not  only  divided  ecclesias¬ 
tically,  but  we  have  been  so  thoroughly  divided 
that  we  have  not  been  able  hitherto  always  to 
cooperate  along  lines  of  effort  that  are  common 
to  all.  It  is  to  reverse  this  policy,  to  discover 
spheres  in  which,  and  methods  by  which,  we  may 
work  together  in  our  mutual  tasks  that  the 
Interchurch  Movement  has  been  called  into 
being. 

Victory  came  to  the  allied  armies  when  the 
way  was  found  to  cooperate  under  a  common 
plan.  Since  it  was  possible  for  these  many 


4 


of  North  America 


allied  nations  to  fight  together  effectively  with¬ 
out  destroying  their  individuality  or  surrender¬ 
ing  their  sovereignty,  leaders  of  the  evangelical 
churches  believe  that  it  is  possible  for  Christian 
bodies  to  work  together  in  the  same  spirit  with 
great  benefit  to  each  and  with  highly  multiplied 
power  in  their  united  appeals  and  efforts. 

First  Steps 

The  call  for  a  conference  on  this  important 
subject  was  issued  by  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Board  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  South. 
Representatives  of  mission  boards  and  allied 
interests  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  were 
asked  to  meet  in  New  York  City  on  the  seven¬ 
teenth  of  December,  1918.  One  hundred  and 
thirty-five  persons  responded,  representing  most 
of  these  organizations.  Those  present  were 
unanimously  agreed  that  the  time  had  come  for 
the  working  bodies  of  the  several  denominations 
to  endeavor  so  to  relate  their  activities  as  to 
present  a  united  front  before  the  world  and  at 
the  same  time  secure  greater  efficiency,  with  a 
corresponding  increase  of  influence  and  power, 
not  to  speak  of  the  economies  which  would 
naturally  result. 

As  a  further  evidence  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
was  moving,  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches 
at  about  the  same  time  called  a  meeting  at 
Atlantic  City  with  a  similar  purpose  in  view. 
Ninety  persons  responded  to  this  call,  and  the 
same  unanimity  of  opinion  was  expressed  as  to 
the  church’s  needs  and  obligations  as  in  the  other 
assembly. 

At  the  New  York  meeting  a  committee  of 
twenty  was  created,  which  included  many  of 
the  outstanding  Christian  leaders  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  This  committee  was 
charged  with  the  task  of  formulating  a  prelim¬ 
inary  statement  that  might  serve  as  a  working 
basis  for  the  development  of  plans  for  such  a 
cooperative  effort  as  seemed  called  for.  This 
committee  has  been  singularly  successful  in 
bringing  together  the  leaders  of  the  many  Chris¬ 
tian  forces  which  are  moving  in  the  same  direc- 


5 


Interchurch  World  Movement 


tion.  The  result  of  their  work  is  the  Interchurch 
World  Movement,  whose  organization  is  outlined 
more  fully  on  another  page. 


The  Response 

The  preliminary  announcement  of  the  pur¬ 
poses  and  plans  of  the  Interchurch  World 
Movement  has  called  out  a  response  from  all 
parts  of  America  that  has  seldom,  if  ever,  been 
equalled.  There  is  a  conviction  that  this  move¬ 
ment  has  come  in  answer  to  prayer.  It  is  also 
looked  upon  as  the  natural  culmination  of  the 
great  wave  of  denominational  forward  move¬ 
ments  which  were  begun  under  the  pressure  of 
needs  greatly  multiplied  because  of  the  war. 
The  leaders  of  these  movements  have  been 
quick  to  realize  that  the  objectives  which  they 
had  in  mind  could  be  realized  in  a  still  larger 
way  by  working  together.  They  have  been 
among  the  first  to  offer  their  time,  their  experi¬ 
ence  and  their  hearty  support  to  the  work  of 
the  Interchurch  World  Movement  that  under 
God’s  guidance  a  strong  cooperative  effort  may 
be  developed  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  task 
which  in  all  its  vital  essentials  is  one. 

The  following  boards  and  societies  have  already 
taken  favorable  action  concerning  the  movement: 

Foreign  Missions  Conference  of  North  America. 
Federation  of  Women’s  Boards  of  Foreign  Missions  of 
North  America 
Home  Missions  Council. 

Council  of  Women  for  Home  Missions. 

Committee  on  Cooperation  in  Latin  America. 

Laymen’s  Missionary  Movement. 

Missionary  Education  Movement. 

Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America. 
World’s  Sunday  School  Association. 

International  Sunday  School  Association. 

Sunday  School  Council  of  Evangelical  Denominations  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada. 

Council  of  Church  Boards  of  Education. 

World  Christian  Endeavor  Union. 

United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

American  Tract  Society. 

American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 

American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 

Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions. 

6 


of  North  America 


American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions. 

Commission  on  Missions  of  the  National  Council  of 
Congregationalists. 

American  Missionary  Association. 

Congregational  Home  Mission  Society. 

Congregational  Church  Building  Society. 

Congregational  Sunday  School  Extension  Society. 

Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  (Disciples  of 
Christ). 

American  Christian  Missionary  Society  (Disciples  of 
Christ) . 

Board  of  Education  of  the  Disciples. 

Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Unity  of 
Disciples. 

Board  of  Ministerial  Relief  of  the  Disciples. 

National  Benevolent  Association  (Disciples  of  Christ). 

Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Protes¬ 
tant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States. 

American  Friends  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

Board  of  Home  Missions  Five  Years’  Meeting  of  Friends. 

Executive  Committee  of  the  Five  Years’  Meeting  of  the 
Friends  in  America. 

Joint  Centenary  Commission  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  (North  and  South). 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Society  of  the  United  Brethren  for  Propagating  the  Gos¬ 
pel  Among  the  Heathen  (Moravian  Church  in 
America). 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  United  States  of  America  (North). 

Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  of  America  (North). 

Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  (North). 

Woman’s  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

Foreign  Board  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  (South). 

Home  Missions  Board  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  (South). 

Committee  of  Christian  Education  and  Ministerial  Re¬ 
lief  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
(South). 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Freedman’s  Board  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

Convocation  Committee  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Cuhrch  in 
America. 

General  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States. 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States. 


7 


Inter  church  World  Movement 


{List  of  endorsements  continued) 

Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States. 

United  Missionary  and  Stewardship  Committee  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States. 

General  Board  of  Administration  of  the  United  Brethren 
in  Christ. 

Executive  Committee  of  Home  Missions  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ. 

Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  United 
Evangelical  Church. 

Board  of  Church  Extension  of  the  United  Evangelical 
Church. 


Purpose  and  Scope 

In  order  that  there  may  be  clear  understanding 
regarding  the  purpose  and  scope  of  the  move¬ 
ment,  it  seems  best  to  quote  certain  sections  from 
the  report  of  the  Committee  of  Twenty  as 
adopted  by  the  several  bodies  listed  in  the  fore¬ 
going: 

“To  present  a  unified  program  of  Christian  service  and  to 
unite  the  Protestant  churches  of  North  America  in  the  per¬ 
formance  of  their  common  task,  thus  making  available  the 
values  of  spiritual  power  which  come  from  unity  and  coordi¬ 
nated  Christian  effort  and  meeting  the  unique  opportunities 
of  the  new  era.” 

“While  primarily  a  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Move¬ 
ment,  the  movement  is  to  be  broad  enough  to  cover  all  those 
interests  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  outside  of  the  local 
church  budget  which  are  naturally  related  to  the  missionary 
enterprise  through  national  agencies,  denominational  or 
interdenominational .” 


Survey 

A  thorough  united  survey  of  the  home  and 
foreign  fields  of  the  world  will  be  made  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  accurate  and  complete  data 
as  to  what  ought  to  be  done  by  the  combined 
churches  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  hour,  and  of 
at  least  the  next  five  years. 

Field  Campaign 

A  field  campaign  will  be  undertaken  to  bring 
before  the  churches  a  knowledge  of  the  needs  of 
the  community,  the  nation,  and  the  world,  as 
revealed  by  the  surveys;  to  arouse  the  church  to 
the  realization  of  the  urgency  of  cooperative 


8 


of  North  America 


effort  in  meeting  these  needs,  and  also  to  inspire 
and  complete  an  organization  of  the  Christian 
forces  competent  to  undertake  an  adequate 
world  program.  During  the  field  campaign 
special  emphasis  will  be  put  upon  education, 
intercession  and  stewardship,  and  an  attempt 
will  be  made  to  make  effective  the  necessary 
resources  of  spiritual  power,  life  and  money 
needed  to  carry  out  the  world  program. 


Conferences  and  Conventions 

A  vital  feature  of  the  entire  movement  will  be 
that  of  its  conferences  and  conventions.  These 
will  be  held  throughout  the  nation  for  the  fol¬ 
lowing  purposes: 

First:  To  make  known  the  plans,  ideals  and 

program  of  the  movement  to  all  the 
churches  and  all  the  people. 

Second:  To  secure  the  wider  adoption  of  the 
principle  of  cooperative  Christian  effort 
among  the  churches  and  affiliated 
societies,  in  every  county,  local  com¬ 
munity,  city,  and  state  of  the  country. 

Third:  To  assist  in  organizing  interchurch 
committees,  councils  or  federations  for 
the  immediate  tasks  which  can  only  be 
met  by  united  effort.  These  will  con¬ 
template  permanence,  in  recognition  of 
the  growing  desire  upon  the  part  of  the 
leaders  of  Christian  work  for  such  co- 
.  operation  and  as  the  most  practicable 
answer  to  the  desire  for  unity,  but  will 
be  encouraged  and  urged,  in  any  event, 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  special 
program  of  the  Interchurch  World 
Movement. 

Fourth:  To  give  increasing  testimony  to  the 
place  of  the  Christian  Church  as  a 
fundamental  agency  to  make  per¬ 
manent  the  ideals  of  an  enduring  world 
peace  and  to  help  in  interpreting  the 
type  of  gospel  message  which  will  con¬ 
tribute  most  to  that  end. 


9 


Interchurch  World  Movement 


Fifth:  To  enlist  and  assist  in  training  an  ade¬ 

quate  force  of  consecrated  men  and 
women  to  carry  out  a  world-wide  five- 
year  program  of  the  Christian  Church, 
which  shall  be  undertaken  to  meet  the 
necessity  revealed  by  the  surveys  now 
being  made  by  the  movement. 

Several  of  these  conferences  have  already  been 
held,  resulting  in  intense  interest  in  the  move¬ 
ment  as  a  whole,  the  creation  of  many  inter¬ 
church  committees  in  local  communities  and 
cities  and  the  strengthening  and  the  enlargement 
of  those  already  in  existence. 

So  far  as  possible,  the  committee  will  seek  to 
have  the  movement  presented  at  all  the  con¬ 
ventions,  assemblies,  councils  and  conferences 
of  the  churches  and  allied  societies  during  1919. 

United  Budget  and  Treasury 

“A  united  budget,  which  shall  constitute  the 
financial  objectives  and  which  shall  be  presented 
to  the  constituency  of  the  cooperating  agencies 
together  with  the  educational  and  spiritual  ob¬ 
jective  of  the  movement  [will  be  established]. 

“It  is  clearly  understood  that  the  united  move¬ 
ment  shall  not  displace  or  interfere  with  the 
autonomy  and  responsibility  of  administration  of 
the  cooperating  agencies,  and  it  is  urged  that  all 
funds  should  be  sent  as  far  as  possible  directly 
to  the  treasurers  of  such  agencies  from  their 
natural  constituencies,  but  in  view  of  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  provision  for  receiving  and  distributing 
any  funds  that  might  be  contributed  to  it  with¬ 
out  being  sent  through  denominational  treas¬ 
urers  a  central  treasury  [will]  be  established  to 
which  funds  given  for  the  united  budget,  but 
contributed  through  ordinary  church  channels 
may  be  reported  by  the  cooperating  agencies,  and 
through  which  donors  who  so  elect  may  con¬ 
tribute  directly  to  the  united  budget. 

“The  functions  of  this  central  treasury  shall 
not  be  administrative  but  to  assemble  and  report 
the  financial  facts  connected  with  the  campaign, 
disburse  funds  for  the  common  expenses  of  the 


10 


o  f  North  America 


campaign,  and  serve  as  a  clearing  house  between 
the  cooperating  agencies  in  order  to  insure  to 
each  its  pro  rata  share  of  the  funds  secured,  as 
agreed  on  in  advance  by  its  percentage  in  the 
united  budget.’ * 

Financial  Drive 

A  united  financial  campaign  will  doubtless 
be  projected  in  the  spring  of  1920,  or  whenever 
in  the  judgment  of  the  leaders  of  the  movement 
the  churches  are  sufficiently  prepared  to  secure 
the  funds  shown  by  the  surveys  to  be  needed  to 
carry  through  the  world  program  on  an  efficiency 
basis. 

Expenses  of  the  Movement 

The  movement  will  be  financed  out  of  the 
funds  secured  and  not  by  direct  assessment  upon 
participating  bodies. 

Plan  of  Organization 

1.  National 

(1)  A  General  Committee  of  approximately 

one  hundred  and  fifty; 

(2)  An  Executive  Committee  of  twenty-one; 

(3)  A  Canadian  Council ,  to  which  will  be 

referred  questions  involved  in  the 
movement  that  are  peculiar  to  the 
Dominion  of  Canada. 

2.  Divisional ,  State  and  Local 

The  organization,  throughout  the  country 
in  each  division,  state,  county,  and  local 
community,  of  the  Christian  forces  into 
some  form  of  interchurch  committee  or 
federation. 


See  also  the  following  leaflets: 

No.  8,  “Its  Organization,  with  Suggestions  for  Its  De¬ 
velopment  and  Methods  of  Operation.” 

No.  11,  “What  It  Is.”  (Contains  names  of  members  of 
the  General  Committee.) 

No.  21,  “Findings  of  the  Cleveland  Conference.” 


11 


NO.4.III.50.MAY1919. 


